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United States24782 Posts
I'm starting to get more interested in cars. Back when I was getting my license, I was too dependent on my family financially to really speak up about what interest I had in cars, so I didn't bother researching it. 3 cars and 6 years later, not much has changed: I didn't choose my car but I didn't have to pay for it. However, now that I'm out of college and working, I should be able to actually choose what I want to do about cars for the future. In a few online conversations (including a couple on the tl irc channel) I realized just how much I don't know about cars (both types, and the act of buying them).
I'll start with a brief history of my cars (including their somewhat outrageous fates) as well as a brief history of where I have learned about cars (not a long list...):
Brief History of my Cars:
+ Show Spoiler +When I first got my license, my sister was away at college without a need for a car, so I drove my family's available third car to high school during senior year. It was a 1988 Pontiac Bonneville, fairly similar to the one shown here: A couple of years later it was totaled. Was I in it? No. Was anyone in it? No. Was it parked on my driveway in broad daylight? Yes. Someone fell asleep and crashed into it XD. Shortly after, my dad found out his coworker was willing to part with his '95 Pontiac Grand Am, as seen here: Mine was actually red, but you get the idea. It wasn't a bad car to be honest. However, one year while I was at college (I didn't bring a car for my first three years) my sister borrowed it for a winter (no I don't have any pictures of her) while she was living temporarily in Albany, NY, and a combination of ice covered roads and drunk people suddenly entering the street resulted in my car once again getting totaled. Unfortunately no drunk people were harmed. Shortly afterwards my dad saw a car in his lot at work with a for sale sign, specifically a 1995 Eagle Vision Tsi: It's got a surprisingly sporty engine and is a pretty comfortable ride. It is what I had in senior year of college (intrigue can vouch for the roominess of the back seat) and what I've been using to commute to work this past year (September 2007-Present; ~22 miles each way). The body is also in very good condition considering the age.
Brief History of Where I Learned About Cars:
+ Show Spoiler +
Since nobody in my family gives a shit about cars, I never was in a position to absorb very much information about them. My dad drives the cheapest vehicle he can get running (he's pretty good at maintaining cars, and also has a very good mechanic, so you'd be surprised by some of the vehicles he's had), my sister doesn't know the difference between an Acura Integra and a toaster (again, I don't have any pictures of her), and my mother is content with her 1998 Lumina for the time being.
The first appreciable source of information on cars I encountered was...... Gran Turismo 2. The problem is, it's pretty difficult to tell, without doing specific research, which cars are actually available in the USA. I was also barely driving age when I got that game if at all, so I didn't have very good judgment about what cars were realistic.
Since then, Gran Turismo 3 and 4 have both continued to provide me with lots of information that I still struggle to maintain the proper perspective on. Whenever I say to myself "hm I like this car" it is either unavailable in the USA or overly expensive. Just recently I've been watching Intial D (my first car in gt2 was actually a sprinter trueno gt-apex!) and that's one of the things that's gotten me pumped up about cars (as horrible as that is). Yesterday someone suggested I watch Top Gear and I've already started planning to do that.
The past few days I've been trying to do internet research into the many different kinds of cars and different makes and models. It's honestly somewhat overwhelming. I've been reading through old threads on TL about buying a car, and I constantly have to start looking up all the references because I don't know what people are talking about.
The past few days I've been having some kind of electrical problems with my car, and as soon as an available day for my dad to bring it to his mechanic (near where he works) to work on it comes, I expect the problem to get fixed. However, this got me thinking that the immaculate body of my car is deceiving and I am driving a 1995. I might want to consider upgrading now that I can ostensibly afford it. I make decent money (pretty good by recent college graduate standards), and I'm not broke since I live with my family (in an area where there's no way in hell I could afford to live on my own right now). The only things holding me back from dumping a tremendous amount of money into an awesome car are:
- My parents and I have a fairly large amount of combined debt as a result of me going out of state for my Bachelors.
- I have a 5 year Masters requirement which means I'm going to need to start paying for a Masters degree soon.
- If I buy anything too showy or overpowered while living in a place where there's nowhere you can run your car over 70 mph, my father will disown me.
But, I do live at home and pay a healthy rent (even though most of it is currently going into paying down my college loans I'm sure) so I have every right to get at least a decent car. I'm just having a big dilemma where I don't know enough. I'm trying to make up for lost time and learn everything there is to know about cars, and I think I'm getting nowhere fast.
I'm not yet at the stage where I can make a post in the general forum like this (click spoiler):
+ Show Spoiler +Help me decide on a car to buy.So it's time for me to buy a car. I'm very excited but not sure of what I want to get. There are many people here interested/experienced with cars and I expect you can make some great suggestions. My budget is XXX - YYY dollars, and I'm looking for something similar to a Make_1 Model_1. I want a Drive_Train_1 with X Doors. Please make suggestions using the following format: - Year
- Make
- Model
- Cost
- Pros
- Cons
- Comments
Edit: I bought my car. It's a Make_2 Model_2! I'll post pics as soon as I pick it up!
I'd love to be at that stage but I don't know how to determine how much money I should claim to be willing to spend, and I'm not 100% ready to give up my Eagle Vision yet. I'd rather spend some time increasing my knowledge (mostly what has inspired this blog post) about cars. Here are a few things I have done just recently (past few days):
- Going to the websites of various major car manufacturers (Chevy, Toyota, etc) and look at their lineups and practice building a car online a bit.
- Discussing cars with people including in #teamliquid on irc.
- Reading some of the information at http://www.carbuyingtips.com/ and checking my credit rating as per his instructions (apparently my credit is excellent!)
- Paying much closer attention to cars as I play through Gran Turismo 4 again for fun.
- Researching the cars that come up in Initial D (almost done with the first season).
- Making a blog post where I can ultimately point out some areas of concern and questions.
So some questions:
- If you make X dollars per year, how much should you be willing to spend on a car? I know it varies a lot but some examples of what is or isn't reasonable might be helpful.
- Are getting small cars a very bad idea from a perspective of safety, or is my mother totally over-worrying?
- If I rarely carry passengers, and even more rarely carry more than one passenger, should I feel comfortable with only having two doors?
- Will I regret it if my car has very little room for carrying cargo? (I make frequent trips to IKEA lately since I'm trying to clean up and organize the basement by buying bookcases etc, and my Eagle Vision just barely gets them home)
- What steps should I take to learn about what kinds of cars I might be interested in as long as I have a while before I need to make an actual decision?
I expect when the time finally does come, I will make a stereotypical help me decide on a car thread similar to the example one above. It's just frustrating for me now that I'm suddenly more excited about cars but don't know what the heck to do about it. Any direction would be appreciated. For those troopers who made it through the entire post, thanks, I'm impressed.
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Get a Chevrolet Corvette. 
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anything under 60k a year:
Civic
Camry
Integra
~100k
BMW 3 series
Acura TL
Lexus ES/IS
Over
~whatever u want
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United States20665 Posts
Watch a shitload of Top Gear 
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United States24782 Posts
On April 13 2008 10:47 Zalfor wrote:
anything under 60k a year:
Civic
Camry
Integra
Are you talking new, used, or either? I easily found the dedicated pages for the honda civic and the toyota camry. When you say integra, can you specify exactly what you mean? I looked at the Acura website and I'm not finding what I think you are refering to.
On April 13 2008 11:05 Last Romantic wrote:Watch a shitload of Top Gear
As noted in the OP, that's one of my goals.
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just post budget and needs and you'll get all the feedback you need.
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United States20665 Posts
Ah, sorry. Somehow skipped over that o-o;
They tend to be skewed towards supercars and the like, though they do give some good tips on cheaper stuff.
As for myself - I've driven a '94 Toyota Camry and a '95 Acura Legend, and currently drive an '08 BMW 328i. I guess I can talk about any of those models ? They don't make the Legend anymore though.
Aside from those, I don't really consider myself very knowledgeable about automobiles :x sorry. Oh, I can talk about the '01 Porsche 911 and the '03 BMW X5, too [parents' cars -.-]
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United States24782 Posts
On April 13 2008 11:14 decafchicken wrote:
just post budget and needs and you'll get all the feedback you need.
I am planning on doing this once I know more (why I want to do some research). I'm really not sure how to 'post budget' though... it's not a trivial matter.
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United States20665 Posts
Post budget is essentially 'what you're willing to pay now for the car'
obviously maintenance costs will be greater for an older car, and maybe you don't want to pay it all now, but as a general ballpark idea give maybe a 5k range ? so like 25-30k, 15-20k, w/e.
edit: OK I'll try to answer your questions
1. If you make X dollars per year, how much should you be willing to spend on a car? I know it varies a lot but some examples of what is or isn't reasonable might be helpful.
I have no idea on this one. The only example I have is my own family.
2. Are getting small cars a very bad idea from a perspective of safety, or is my mother totally over-worrying?
Well, the logic b/w small cars and big cars is 'active' vs 'passive'; small cars prevent accidents by getting in them less often. Big cars focus more on surviving an accident. From a safety standpoint big cars are generally regarded as more 'safe', but then that's because crash tests assume you are going to crash.
3. If I rarely carry passengers, and even more rarely carry more than one passenger, should I feel comfortable with only having two doors?
I usually drive alone or with 1 passenger, but I like having four doors. Coupes are fine though, and most people think they look better.
4. Will I regret it if my car has very little room for carrying cargo? (I make frequent trips to IKEA lately since I'm trying to clean up and organize the basement by buying bookcases etc, and my Eagle Vision just barely gets them home)
'Little' is relative. You can always use the backseat if your trunk is small. My car has like 13.5 cu ft. of room ? or something like that? It's enough; I can even fit sets of golf clubs or w/e inside.
5. What steps should I take to learn about what kinds of cars I might be interested in as long as I have a while before I need to make an actual decision?
You can use websites like edmunds.com as well as asking people. You can also try test driving cars [but usu. must be new cars].
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United States24782 Posts
On April 13 2008 11:29 Last Romantic wrote:
Post budget is essentially 'what you're willing to pay now for the car'
obviously maintenance costs will be greater for an older car, and maybe you don't want to pay it all now, but as a general ballpark idea give maybe a 5k range ? so like 25-30k, 15-20k, w/e.
Yeah that's pretty much what I figured. The tricky thing for me is deciding how much I should be willing to spend based on my financial situation. I know in your discussion about buying a car recently you (your parents?) were pretty flexible so it wasn't difficult :p
I on the other hand need to be careful about my finances. I will need to take out a loan on pretty much anything over 5k (and as I noted I'm happy my credit rating is good). I need to be smart about what price range I come up with, even keeping in mind this can be financed over as long a term as necessary, and I'm just not sure how to do that. This will be my first major purchase.
edit: OK I'll try to answer your questions
1. If you make X dollars per year, how much should you be willing to spend on a car? I know it varies a lot but some examples of what is or isn't reasonable might be helpful.
I have no idea on this one. The only example I have is my own family.
2. Are getting small cars a very bad idea from a perspective of safety, or is my mother totally over-worrying?
Well, the logic b/w small cars and big cars is 'active' vs 'passive'; small cars prevent accidents by getting in them less often. Big cars focus more on surviving an accident. From a safety standpoint big cars are generally regarded as more 'safe', but then that's because crash tests assume you are going to crash.
3. If I rarely carry passengers, and even more rarely carry more than one passenger, should I feel comfortable with only having two doors?
I usually drive alone or with 1 passenger, but I like having four doors. Coupes are fine though, and most people think they look better.
4. Will I regret it if my car has very little room for carrying cargo? (I make frequent trips to IKEA lately since I'm trying to clean up and organize the basement by buying bookcases etc, and my Eagle Vision just barely gets them home)
'Little' is relative. You can always use the backseat if your trunk is small. My car has like 13.5 cu ft. of room ? or something like that? It's enough; I can even fit sets of golf clubs or w/e inside.
5. What steps should I take to learn about what kinds of cars I might be interested in as long as I have a while before I need to make an actual decision?
You can use websites like edmunds.com as well as asking people. You can also try test driving cars [but usu. must be new cars].
Okay thanks I'll consider that.
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how much you have and what do you need them for?
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im sorry i cant help. you spent too much time on this to be posting at teamliquid. have you tried going on a car forum where you could find better help?
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United States24782 Posts
On April 13 2008 13:22 Rev0lution wrote:
how much you have and what do you need them for?
I don't really understand what you are asking. I don't know how much I have since I'm going to be taking out a loan anyway.
On April 13 2008 14:18 dancefayedance!~ wrote:
im sorry i cant help. you spent too much time on this to be posting at teamliquid. have you tried going on a car forum where you could find better help?
Right now all I really want is some general advice so I'm not ready to go to car-specific places for help. It only took like 45 minutes to write this up, and now I have it for reference in case I want to direct others to it, so I don't think doing it in my blog was a mistake.
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On April 13 2008 11:16 Last Romantic wrote:
currently drive an '08 BMW 328i. I guess I can talk about any of those models ? They don't make the Legend anymore though.
Aside from those, I don't really consider myself very knowledgeable about automobiles :x sorry. Oh, I can talk about the '01 Porsche 911 and the '03 BMW X5, too [parents' cars -.-]
i hate you. very much
and by hate i mean extremely envious. i plan on killing your family merely to steal your automobiles.
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On April 13 2008 11:08 micronesia wrote:Show nested quote +On April 13 2008 10:47 Zalfor wrote:
anything under 60k a year:
Civic
Camry
Integra
Are you talking new, used, or either? I easily found the dedicated pages for the honda civic and the toyota camry. When you say integra, can you specify exactly what you mean? I looked at the Acura website and I'm not finding what I think you are refering to. As noted in the OP, that's one of my goals.
You won't find the Integra on the Acura website anymore because it has been discontinued for a few years now.
You really don't seem to have any idea of what you want so I suggest you take care of that first. Think about what you are going to be using that car for and that will give you a better idea of what you are looking for. For example, if you are going to use it as a daily driver, you're going to want something fuel efficient. That's pretty important seeing as how fewer trips to the gas pump will save you more money. It looks like I am stating the obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many people overlook this just because they are set on getting a certain car.
You also need to figure out what kind of budget you are allowing for this car. That will help you narrow down your choices to a handful of cars or one or two car types. Are you looking for something new? Used? Judging by your post I am assuming that you would rather get a used car.
Do you consider yourself a bit of an enthusiast? Do you want the driving experience to be fun? Do you want the car to have some power? Or does that not matter to you (again I am assuming yes, since you play GT and that made you excited about cars).
I have been looking for a new car as well recently, so I have all of this fresh in my mind. Don't hesitate to PM me.
EDIT-
To answer some of your questions:
# Are getting small cars a very bad idea from a perspective of safety, or is my mother totally over-worrying?
- Simply speaking, of course larger cars will be safer because there is more between you and the other car in an accident. That being said, some accidents will hurt you no matter how big your car is. Also, safety in modern small cars is better than ever. For example I hear Honda Civics do excellently in crashes and they are considered small cars. Just make sure you drive carefully.
# If I rarely carry passengers, and even more rarely carry more than one passenger, should I feel comfortable with only having two doors?
- If you don't carry passengers very often, 2 doors is very reasonable. It just comes down to what your personal preference is.
# Will I regret it if my car has very little room for carrying cargo? (I make frequent trips to IKEA lately since I'm trying to clean up and organize the basement by buying bookcases etc, and my Eagle Vision just barely gets them home)
- Whether or not you will regret it just depends on how often you plan to transport larger items. I'm sure you don't plan on going to IKEA forever.
# What steps should I take to learn about what kinds of cars I might be interested in as long as I have a while before I need to make an actual decision?
- There are lot of good online websites on cars and buying tips/recommendations etc. Just search for something like Buying cars or anything else to that effect on Google and you will be presented with a wealth of information. As someone said earlier, Top Gear addresses super cars mostly (not exclusively), so unless you want to buy a Ferrari it won't necessarily help you choose your next car. Still worth watching though, it is very entertaining. Plus it will help expand your knowledge of cars which you mentioned is something you want to do.
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United States24782 Posts
On April 13 2008 14:51 lazymej wrote:Show nested quote +On April 13 2008 11:08 micronesia wrote:On April 13 2008 10:47 Zalfor wrote:
anything under 60k a year:
Civic
Camry
Integra
Are you talking new, used, or either? I easily found the dedicated pages for the honda civic and the toyota camry. When you say integra, can you specify exactly what you mean? I looked at the Acura website and I'm not finding what I think you are refering to. On April 13 2008 11:05 Last Romantic wrote:Watch a shitload of Top Gear As noted in the OP, that's one of my goals. You won't find the Integra on the Acura website anymore because it has been discontinued for a few years now. You really don't seem to have any idea of what you want so I suggest you take care of that first. That's one of my main motivations for this post... ideas for how to actually remedy that. Think about what you are going to be using that car for and that will give you a better idea of what you are looking for. For example, if you are going to use it as a daily driver, you're going to want something fuel efficient. That's pretty important seeing as how fewer trips to the gas pump will save you more money. It looks like I am stating the obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many people overlook this just because they are set on getting a certain car. Yeah I agree with you. That has been one of my main concerns since I started... fuel efficiency since I have an ~44 mile daily commute (as mentioned in the OP).
You also need to figure out what kind of budget you are allowing for this car. That will help you narrow down your choices to a handful of cars or one or two car types. Are you looking for something new? Used? Judging by your post I am assuming that you would rather get a used car. If it was a very inexpensive car I could probably do new, but for anything I'll need to do used. As for 'figuring out what kind of budget I am allowing' I have to say I am at a loss, as previously stated several times. How do you figure that out without just making arbitrary decisions?
Do you consider yourself a bit of an enthusiast? Do you want the driving experience to be fun? Do you want the car to have some power? Or does that not matter to you (again I am assuming yes, since you play GT and that made you excited about cars).
I have been looking for a new car as well recently, so I have all of this fresh in my mind. Don't hesitate to PM me.
Note in the OP how I said I am indeed interested by exciting cars, but at the same time pressured by my family to not take it too far. It's a tricky balance and I don't know exactly what I can/should aim for.
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United States20665 Posts
oh! Miniiiiii cooper ;DD
Not overstated, not expensive, fun to drive.
http://www.miniusa.com/#/MINIUSA.COM-m
You can obv. get used ones too. I think they sell cars on craiglist? Just find close region.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://www.carsurvey.org/images/pontiac_bonneville_2.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.co.cattaraugus.ny.us/treasurer/auctions/200510_surplus_auction/image029.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://www.4wheelz.net/makes/images/eagle/1995_eagle_vision_tsi_2_c999_im.jpg)
